“I met a man named Joe Black today. …I’m not sure I’m ready to meet him again.”
Carlos wondered if that statement begged a response. Maybe the man was just speaking out loud.
“Well… some people are just strange, I guess,” he said, barely sparing a glance to the other person. “Having a weird feeling might mean that things aren’t right.” Like right now. Carlos had a weird feeling that he’d seen this man somewhere before, but he couldn’t place it.
He had said it when the waitress had asked ‘what’s eatin’ ya, hon?’ She had shrugged it off but the man next to him at the counter had responded. Tony glanced sideways through his shades, not answering for a moment.
“Something definitely wasn’t right with him,” Tony finally replied. He wasn’t about to spill all of the tumultuous feelings that had come with speaking to that man. He didn’t want to acknowledge them to begin with.
Carlos hummed and nodded. He reached for some cream and sugar to treat his coffee – his first actual coffee in a while and he was going to milk it for all it was worth (heh, nice. Good joke, Carlos – internal self high-five.)
“Probably best to stay away from him, then,” Carlos suggested as he sweetened his coffee with more sugar than what any other person would deem necessary. “It’s my experience that one should listen to those feelings.” He wasn’t exaggerating.
Tony nodded at the idea of staying away from the man. He wasn’t going to disagree there. Somehow he felt like that man would be lurking, and in a way that wasn’t exactly stalking. No, it was something highly more sinister and yet much more natural than that. Something that couldn’t be held off with a restraining-order.
Carlos mixed his coffee with a straw and blew on it gently before taking a sip. He couldn’t help closing his eyes and giving a soft, happy sigh. So much better than instant coffee…
He opened his eyes and glanced at the other diner. Carlos frowned slightly – the guy looked like he was trying to keep it together, but Carlos had a feeling that he was very distressed by this… Joe Black person.
“Do you think you’re in danger?” he asked the man. “Like… unsafe, I mean?”
Carlos grinned stupidly. “You’re ridiculously sweet,” he cooed. “That sounds great. Dare I say, romantic.” It made Carlos want to just kiss him now. A lot.
“Romantic? Well, perhaps I should take a step back, hmm?” He chuckled as he took Carlos’ hand and tugged him closer to peck him on the cheek. “I hope you don’t have a problem with a little romance, sweetheart.”
Carlos shook his head. “None whatsoever,” he told Hancock and he pressed a kiss to the ghoul’s mouth. “I need a bit of time to freshen up, if that’s okay.” Carlos had a sweater vest and shirt that he’d gotten and was saving for an occasion like this. It didn’t seem like Hancock’s style, but it was Carlos’ and he was hoping to look nice. And that Hancock would appreciate it.
“I know, but I wanted to,” she replied with a grin. With the dishes out now, though, she was free to take her seat at the table and smile at her friend. “You want me to serve the sloppy joe casserole?”
Carlos smiled at her. “Only if you would like,” he said and he busied himself with getting their drinks. “Angie? Do you want to get your mom a spoon to help dish?” He then looked at Mia. “Oh – want any ice?”
“Okay, Papa!” Dutifully, the girl got back up to fetch a serving spoon for her mother.
“No ice, but I appreciate it,” came the response as Mia took the spoon from Angie to begin dishing out the food for all three of them. Angie got a slightly lesser portion than Carlos or Mia did, but the girl just took it as adults having larger stomachs.
Carlos gave Angie her juice and Mia her water and sat down with a cup of orange juice himself. After Strex had changed hands, he wasn’t so worried about citrus drinks anymore.
“I appreciate this, Mia,” Carlos told her with a smile. “Though I’m sure you wouldn’t have wanted to eat just plain mac and cheese anyway, huh?”
“Well, yes,” Carlos said. He stood up and took her hand. “Come on in. Mia? Should we talk about this over dinner? Or should it wait until after? What do you think?”
“I think we can handle talking about this during dinner, unless you’d prefer to wait?” Mia replied, shrugging as she came back into view. “It would probably be easier to share over food, though.”
Looking between her parents, Angie frowned. What in the worlds could they be talking about? She was dying with curiosity, wanting to know what was going on. “Or you could tell me now? What’s going on?”
Carlos gave Angela a smile. “I think it can also be a lesson in patience,” he teased her gently. “It’s okay, honey – there’s plenty of time. Your mom’s food smells really good – we should dig in before it gets cold, don’t you think?”
He turned to lead her to his little dining area where he had pulled up an extra chair from his desk so that there were three places to sit. “What do you guys want to drink? I have soda, coffee, juice…”
“Juice, please!” Angie replied, following her father into the dining area. She was still anxious to find out what they were hiding from her, but if both of them were dead set on keeping quiet until they had started eating, then there was nothing for her to do but take a seat at the table and wait to be told.
“I’ll have a water, if you don’t mind, Carlos,” Mia was busy magicking plates out of the cupboards, but she turned to spare a glance at him as she answered the question.
Carlos nodded as he went to the cupboard with the cups. He watched the dishes fly out with a slight frown. “Awe Mia, you didn’t have to get those out. I could have done it.” And get his hand possibly bitten in the process, but that’s what Nuskin was for. Also, he was hosting.
Still, he gently pet the ‘Cup’-board (as he lovingly called it) and was able to get three glasses out for them without getting bitten.
“I know, but I wanted to,” she replied with a grin. With the dishes out now, though, she was free to take her seat at the table and smile at her friend. “You want me to serve the sloppy joe casserole?”
Carlos smiled at her. “Only if you would like,” he said and he busied himself with getting their drinks. “Angie? Do you want to get your mom a spoon to help dish?” He then looked at Mia. “Oh – want any ice?”
“Well, yes,” Carlos said. He stood up and took her hand. “Come on in. Mia? Should we talk about this over dinner? Or should it wait until after? What do you think?”
“I think we can handle talking about this during dinner, unless you’d prefer to wait?” Mia replied, shrugging as she came back into view. “It would probably be easier to share over food, though.”
Looking between her parents, Angie frowned. What in the worlds could they be talking about? She was dying with curiosity, wanting to know what was going on. “Or you could tell me now? What’s going on?”
Carlos gave Angela a smile. “I think it can also be a lesson in patience,” he teased her gently. “It’s okay, honey – there’s plenty of time. Your mom’s food smells really good – we should dig in before it gets cold, don’t you think?”
He turned to lead her to his little dining area where he had pulled up an extra chair from his desk so that there were three places to sit. “What do you guys want to drink? I have soda, coffee, juice…”
“Juice, please!” Angie replied, following her father into the dining area. She was still anxious to find out what they were hiding from her, but if both of them were dead set on keeping quiet until they had started eating, then there was nothing for her to do but take a seat at the table and wait to be told.
“I’ll have a water, if you don’t mind, Carlos,” Mia was busy magicking plates out of the cupboards, but she turned to spare a glance at him as she answered the question.
Carlos nodded as he went to the cupboard with the cups. He watched the dishes fly out with a slight frown. “Awe Mia, you didn’t have to get those out. I could have done it.” And get his hand possibly bitten in the process, but that’s what Nuskin was for. Also, he was hosting.
Still, he gently pet the ‘Cup’-board (as he lovingly called it) and was able to get three glasses out for them without getting bitten.
“Not unless someone’s got a recipe book from pre-war,” Carlos said a little sadly. But then an idea came to him. “Oh – but I can show you how to make popsicles! Some day, we should get some mutfruit juice and some clean skewer-type sticks and I’ll show you what my dad showed Mikey and I. You might like it.”
When it got warmer, of course – Carlos didn’t want Hancock to have any more issues with his circulation than the winter already gave him.
“Hmm…. that’s too bad.” A small frown crossed his face as he briefly mourned the ice cream he’d never get to try. Fortunately, Carlos was able to distract him easily enough and he perked up again with a smile. “That doesn’t sound halfway bad, we should make ‘em sometime, shouldn’t be too hard to find some juice and some sticks, right?”
“Not hard at all,” Carlos said with a smile. “They’re really nice on a hot day – sometimes the environmental controls would go out in the vault and cold treats like that made it more bearable.” Maybe they could try experimenting with milk and make creamsicles? Carlos wasn’t a good cook, but he could experiment.
“Well, yes,” Carlos said. He stood up and took her hand. “Come on in. Mia? Should we talk about this over dinner? Or should it wait until after? What do you think?”
“I think we can handle talking about this during dinner, unless you’d prefer to wait?” Mia replied, shrugging as she came back into view. “It would probably be easier to share over food, though.”
Looking between her parents, Angie frowned. What in the worlds could they be talking about? She was dying with curiosity, wanting to know what was going on. “Or you could tell me now? What’s going on?”
Carlos gave Angela a smile. “I think it can also be a lesson in patience,” he teased her gently. “It’s okay, honey – there’s plenty of time. Your mom’s food smells really good – we should dig in before it gets cold, don’t you think?”
He turned to lead her to his little dining area where he had pulled up an extra chair from his desk so that there were three places to sit. “What do you guys want to drink? I have soda, coffee, juice…”
Carlos nodded. “That’s alright,” he said. “It was some kind of harvest celebration maybe four hundred years ago, but turned into people dressing up in costumes for sweets and candy. Just… something about offering the the harvest to spirits of the land or something…”
Carlos set his tote bag on the coffee table and pulled out the funnel cakes. He offered the box to Hancock. “Wanna give the first one a try? I don’t know what a funnel cake is… but it looks good. If… squiggly.”
“Harvest spirits? What the fuck?” His face scrunched up in confusion, but Carlos managed to quickly derail him with funnel cake. His eyes lit up and he took the box, opening it and pulling one of the cakes out. He shoved it in his mouth and let out a pleased hum, nodding to the scientist in approval. “This is good shit, man, where’d you find it?“
Carlos grinned at him, his attention now diverted as well. “I told you – Daisy had some come in. Said something about the trade coming out of Nuka World getting better. Anyway, I had the caps so I figured why not? I’m very glad it’s a hit with you though – I was worried because of the price.”
Carlos wandered through the forest. He knew he’d seen a cave somewhere – it looked like an old bear cave, though he hadn’t gone in it before. He wanted to be as far away from his camp and the summer camps, in case the children had an idea to wander around at night to hunt for snipes. The full moon would make visibility perfect for it, so it was a reasonable concern in Carlos’ mind.
He finally came across the cave he was looking for. And not too soon either – the moon would rise probably within the next ten minutes. Carlos ventured forth, holding his flashlight up to search the inside of the cave. Hopefully it was empty. Could a werewolf beat a bear? Maybe?
he lifted his head up ‘You Don’t Have To Go, Honestly It’s been Nice Having Someone To Talk Too..’ he sighed softly ‘I’m Sure You’ve Noticed There’s Not Many Other Animals Over Here…’
There still aren’t, Carlos couldn’t help himself saying. He looked at his clothes and tried to think of the best way to carry them. His paws could grab onto things, but they were so massive that… he just wasn’t used to them at all.
he tilted his head confusedly as he looked at the clothes ‘What Do You Mean By That?’
Carlos looked back at him. Um… I’m not exactly a wolf? I would have thought my size alone would have clued you in, but… you know, most wolves aren’t exactly sapient like you and I…
he looked more confused before replying ‘You’re The Same Size As Other Wolves..? I Thought You Were An Indoor Wolf..’
Carlos just looked at him. An ‘indoor wolf’?Like… a dog? No, I’m… quite a bit bigger than that too.
‘You Smell To Much Like The Camp To Not Be Though..” he shifts his wings
I’m really not a dog either. I’ll just… I’ll try to be out of your hair before sunrise. It’s for the best.
he whines softly, looking abit upset ‘You Don’t Have To Go..’
I really do. I have, uh… stuff to do.
Carlos used his paw to pick up his labcoat and tried to lay it out flat on the ground. Maybe he could make a bindle with it…
Carlos wandered through the forest. He knew he’d seen a cave somewhere – it looked like an old bear cave, though he hadn’t gone in it before. He wanted to be as far away from his camp and the summer camps, in case the children had an idea to wander around at night to hunt for snipes. The full moon would make visibility perfect for it, so it was a reasonable concern in Carlos’ mind.
He finally came across the cave he was looking for. And not too soon either – the moon would rise probably within the next ten minutes. Carlos ventured forth, holding his flashlight up to search the inside of the cave. Hopefully it was empty. Could a werewolf beat a bear? Maybe?
he lifted his head up ‘You Don’t Have To Go, Honestly It’s been Nice Having Someone To Talk Too..’ he sighed softly ‘I’m Sure You’ve Noticed There’s Not Many Other Animals Over Here…’
There still aren’t, Carlos couldn’t help himself saying. He looked at his clothes and tried to think of the best way to carry them. His paws could grab onto things, but they were so massive that… he just wasn’t used to them at all.
he tilted his head confusedly as he looked at the clothes ‘What Do You Mean By That?’
Carlos looked back at him. Um… I’m not exactly a wolf? I would have thought my size alone would have clued you in, but… you know, most wolves aren’t exactly sapient like you and I…
he looked more confused before replying ‘You’re The Same Size As Other Wolves..? I Thought You Were An Indoor Wolf..’
Carlos just looked at him. An ‘indoor wolf’?Like… a dog? No, I’m… quite a bit bigger than that too.
‘You Smell To Much Like The Camp To Not Be Though..” he shifts his wings
I’m really not a dog either. I’ll just… I’ll try to be out of your hair before sunrise. It’s for the best.
The Perfect Scientist 